Operator of illegal alien stash house at center of smuggling-for-ransom scheme sentenced to federal prison

HOUSTON – A 33-year-old Guatemalan national who illegally resided in Houston has been ordered to federal prison for conspiracy to transport other illegal aliens, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Junior Morales-Chutan pleaded guilty April 24. 

U.S. District Judge Alfred H. Bennett has now ordered Morales-Chutan to serve 48 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment.

“As this office has pointed out several times before, the human smuggling business is ruthless, inhumane, and sometimes deadly,” said Ganjei. “This case shows how those who make their living smuggling and warehousing human beings have no respect for the safety or dignity of their fellow man. Don’t put your life, or the lives of your loved ones, in their hands. Stay home and stay safe.”

Morales-Chutan ran a stash house in Houston where illegal aliens were kept after being smuggled into the United States from various countries. There, associates used weapons and threats to keep them from leaving. Morales-Chutan was also in charge of picking up money paid in relation to the smuggling scheme.

In August 2023, the father of two illegal aliens had paid $25,000 for their transportation from Guatemala to the United States. Once they were in Houston, Morales-Chutan demanded an additional $32,500 in ransom for their release. He threatened that if he did not get the money by the end of the day, he would turn them over to the cartel. 

The investigation led to a residence on Tanager Street in Houston, where authorities recovered firearms, cash and ledgers detailing human smuggling.

The smuggled individuals were later released and identified Morales-Chutan as the one in charge of the stash house and that there had been up to 20 other illegal aliens there at various times.

Morales-Chutan is also an illegal alien himself, having been previously removed from the United States and reentered unlawfully approximately 18 months prior to the smuggling offense. He will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Day prosecuted the case.